Cisco Expands Services To Cover Employees’ Mobile Device Security

Cisco is to further open its security umbrella to cover mobile devices in the workplace.

Whereas companies (should by now) have policies in place to protect desktop PCs and ensure the security of emails and so forth, the mobile arena is a more overlooked area. And it's one which should be scrutinised now that staff are increasingly using smartphones and tablets in their jobs.

What's a headache for IT departments is the growing trend for staff to be able to use their own mobile device, all with their own different requirements in terms of security. And that's where Cisco intends to step in, according to a Reuters report, allowing the freedom of diverse device usage.

Cisco already allows its own staff to use their own smartphones and other devices, with 50,000 employees now doing so (40 per cent of those using an iPhone).

Reuters cites a Ponemon Institute study from last month which shows that businesses often have no clue what sort of data might be leaking out of their networks via employees' unsecured mobile devices.

The study noted: "Fifty-nine per cent of respondents report that employees circumvent or disengage security features, such as passwords and key locks, on corporate and personal mobile devices."

Only four in ten companies have fitting security controls to address this risk, so it would seem that Cisco's expertise won't go amiss.